St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral

40°44′42″N 73°58′31″W / 40.745131°N 73.975252°W / 40.745131; -73.975252

St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral (Armenian: Սուրբ Վարդան Մայր Տաճար) in New York City is the first cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church to be constructed in North America.^[1] It is located in New York City on the corner of Second Avenue and 34th Street and was built to resemble the Saint Hripsime Church in Etchmiadzin (Vagharshapat).^[2] St. Vartan's was consecrated on April 28, 1968, by Vazgen I, Catholicos of Armenia and of All Armenians.^[3]^[4]

Architecture

Walker O. Cain,^[5] of the firm Steinman, Cain & White – successor firm to McKim, Mead and White – with Édouard Utudjian of Paris as a consultant, designed the cathedral. The building includes two unique features distinct to Armenian architecture: the use of double-intersecting arches and a pyramidal dome soaring 120 feet (37 m) above street level.^[2]

Around the dome there are various symbols, including the figure of Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit represented by a dove; the Greek letters alpha and omega superimposed on the scriptures; wheat and grapes representing the Eucharist; and the Phoenix symbolizing resurrection etc.^[2] A series of high, narrow, stained-glass windows are set into the main walls of the cathedral below the dome depicting scenes in the life of Christ and early Christianity in Armenia. The patron saint of the cathedral, St. Vartan, is depicted fighting the Sassanid Persians who threatened the Armenian Church during the fifth century. Ecumenism is symbolized in the portrait of St. Nerses and the crosses of Christendom.^[2]

A raised plaza is located on the south side of the cathedral, which contains a 10-foot (3.0 m) high Reuben Nakian bronze sculpture, "Descent from the Cross" that was dedicated in 1977 and inspired by the painting The Raising of the Cross^[6]^[7] as well as a stainless steel and bronze sculpture, "Migrations" by Michael Aram that was added in 2015 to commemorate the centennial of the Armenian genocide.^[8]^[9]

References

^ "St. Vartan Cathedral--Building a dream". History of St. Vartan Cathedral. The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The Artistry of St. Vartan Cathedral". History of St. Vartan Cathedral. The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). Retrieved January 6, 2008.
^ "1960s". History of St. Vartan Cathedral. The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). Retrieved January 6, 2008.
^ Dugan, George (April 29, 1968). "Armenian Patriarch Consecrates Cathedral Here". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
^ "23-Karat Gold Leaf; Dome of Armenian Cathedral Is Regilded". The New York Times. December 5, 1993.
^ "Armenian Church Receives Sculpture". The New York Times. November 18, 1977. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
^ Pommer, Alfred; Pommer, Joyce (2013). Exploring Manhattan's Murray Hill. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN 9781625845153. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
^ "A New Sculpture at St. Vartan Cathedral". Armenian Weekly. October 22, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
^ "Migrations (Armenian Genocide Memorial)". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved February 24, 2023.